Larry Nance Injury: Updates on Lakers Forward's Knee and Return

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. injured his knee on Jan. 16 against the Utah Jazz and has been dealing with the injury ever since. However, he appears ready to return to the court. 

Continue for updates.

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Nance Available vs. Grizzlies

Wednesday, Feb. 24

Head coach Byron Scott told reporters that Nance is available to play Wednesday against Memphis.

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Nance Downplays Need for Prolonged Absence

Tuesday, Feb. 23

“We've talked about it, they've talked about it, but at the same time, at this point right now, it's precautionary," Nance said about discussions with team trainer Gary Vitti and head coach Byron Scott about shutting things down for a prolonged period, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com.

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Nance Developing Faster Than Expected on the Court

The Lakers gambled a bit when they selected Nance with the 27th overall pick of the 2015 draft. The former Wyoming star has repaid their faith so far through his rookie season. He's averaging 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Between Nance and Julius Randle, Los Angeles has a combination of 4s it can build around over the next few years.

The Lakers are bound to be anchored at or near the bottom of the Western Conference for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. Losing Nance isn't a significant blow to the team on the court. Plus, L.A. isn't lacking in replacements, with Ryan Kelly, Metta World Peace and Brandon Bass all capable of handling more time in the rotation.

The concern comes with how long this most recent issue could keep Nance out. If he's forced to miss a lot of time, it would hinder what has otherwise been Nance's encouraging development in the NBA.